Finding Inspiration from the “Manhattan of the Desert”

There is an ancient city called Shibam. It is called the “Manhattan of the Desert” in the 16th century, it became the first metropolis in the world to use vertical construction. Ever since I came across it, I can’t get it out of my mind. 

Located in present day Yemen, the city of Shibam is surrounded by a flood plain. The city planning is strategic: close to water yet protected from yearly flooding. It is surrounded by a fortified wall, as all ancient cities, but inside the buildings are packed in together and some reach up to seven stories high. The buildings are made of mud brick and were built in the 1530’s. The lower stories have no windows and were used for animals and storage. The upper stories have air bridges that connect to other buildings. The packed together design keeps the buildings shaded for most of the day.

What always draws me to Shibam are the National Geographic pictures (shown above). The muted colors of the city are so pretty. The colors are so close together the houses for this stacking pattern that I’m always attracted to. The buildings are geometric but not perfect. We call that look “organic” these days. :) It always looks to me like a miniature set from a movie backlot. I also find that photo of the women in the hats so haunting.